


Borrowed Wings & Insightful Things

by sugarby



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Soulmates AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 04:57:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14253513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarby/pseuds/sugarby
Summary: In this alternate universe when acquiring a supernatural ability and its type determines your soulmate, Shoyo insists he can fly to a very doubtful Tobio. Features the teasings of a precognitive Tooru and exhausted Hajime.





	Borrowed Wings & Insightful Things

**Author's Note:**

> I've wanted to finish and post this for the last three years. I'm not kidding (a lot of my works have this backstory to them tbh). And here it is, finally. Didn't really ever see myself writing a soulmate au but I came up with this when Iron Man 2 was on tv (yeah, strange. idk how that happened).
> 
> _I'm sure there are typos/editing errors so I'll be proofreading again soon. For now, as always, I hope this is an enjoyable read._

"I can fly!" Shoyo's got this wide, toothy grin on—an extension of his happiness. He's brimming, glowing with thrill like a child opening their perfect gift on Christmas morning.

Tobio is speechless. His lips twist, even open sometimes, but there are no words because he thinks this is a lie. The excitement on Shoyo's face makes it plausible enough, but  _this_ —this piece of ludicrous news is coming from the same guy who's suffered too many head wounds to count from being over excited before.

Shoyo bounces on his toes, waiting for a positive response like 'cool' or 'awesome'. It'll be really great if he gets an 'I believe you'.

But it's not true. It  _can't_  be.

Tobio closes his back his locker with textbooks tucked under an arm. "...Come on or we'll be late."

Shoyo's smile deflates, "... _Wha_ t?"

Tobio bites his lip and avoids eye contact with Shoyo’s quivering face as he walks past and goes in to their next class.

 

* * *

 

The majority of the class lecture goes over Tobio’s head.

He's involuntarily engrossed in staring at the white, lined paper of his open textbook, an uncapped pen lying beside in wait. Even on bad and slow days, he makes an effort to write lengthy notes to support whatever the teacher is pacing back and forth with. But today, apparently, nothing wants to make sense. When he does finally pick up his pen, grips it with enough force to turn the tops of his knuckles to a paler hue, he writes three lines:    

 

> _ 1\. Upon finding their soulmate, an individual is blessed with a supernatural ability. _
> 
> _ 2\. Said ability is granted with the idea of complimenting or being similar to their significant other's. _
> 
> _ 3\. In the event of a couple being mismatched or separated, or love being unrequited, abilities are subject to suspension and can fail to produce. _

These are the three main points in the guideline used to oversee relationships in the world of today—as if millennials aren't insecure enough about whether or not their love-lives can last. It's no longer as simple as just wanting to be with someone, unless there's little to no concern about missing out on gaining an extraordinary gift. The love someone can have for someone else these days is confirmed by receiving an ability and it's type.

Tobio reads what's written but it doesn't sink in, and it's supposed to be simpler in clear, neat points.

He looks at Shoyo at his designated desk near the front row, paying attention to the lecture. In the past, Tobio had urges to pummel him in to the ground for his stupidity, but now  _they're differen_ t; his urges now are to hold Shoyo's hand and possibly never let go if he can help it. To press soft kisses on the backs of them, to give them reassuring squeezes. Sometimes, Tobio feels like he physically aches for this.

Staring with a rare, soft smile—the smile he always fails to notice is on his face, the same one reserved for Shoyo, drops in to a frown as something clicks.

_ 'Upon finding their soulmate—' _

_ '—granted with the idea of complimenting or being similar to—'  _

_ '—a couple being mismatched or separated, or love being unrequited, abilities are subject to suspension and can fail to produce.’ _

Tobio whispers,  "Holy shit…"

 

* * *

 

Tooru lends ears to the lovers' tiff with the hope of having something good to harass them with later. From across the hallway of lockers, he watches Tobio and Shoyo argue in the doorway of their finished class, hands gesticulating (and just missing the students filing in and out between them). It's music to Tooru's ears to hear that not all is perfect and freakishly synchronised in their relationship like it was in high school. He wishes he'd foreseen this and brought snacks! Rather than help dissolve the situation, he's the kind of person to add fuel to fire. Tooru slots himself between them and drapes arms across their shoulders, casually acting like he's been present the entire time.

Tobio and Shoyo go silent.

"What are you doing, Oikawa-san?" Tobio's known this upperclassman since Junior High and he's never seen nor heard of him investing a fraction of his time in to other people’s affairs, let alone his and Shoyo’s. And let alone for a  _sincere_  reason. Plus, Tooru's stretched smile is a hint to an ulterior motive.

"Don't stop on my account. Go on. I heard that someone flew?"

"You don't actually believe him, do you?"

"Of course, Tobio-chan! I should think you do too, being his boyfriend and all. Why, if Shrimpy-chan—" Tooru's nickname for Shoyo who, though a college student, is still as small as a middle-schooler, "—says he can fly then I  _totally_  believe him.  _One hundred_  percent." He pats Shoyo's back a little too hard and Shoyo's arms sprout out in spasm as he hops, trying to regain balance. "You keep at it, Shrimpy. Jump off as many rooftops and bridges as possible. I say the higher, the better."

"You asshole." Another student says, coming from behind and jamming a shoe in to Tooru's calf, making him plummet to the hallway floor with a cry. Hajime Iwaizumi, the best friend who keeps Tooru Oikawa in check whenever he acts out. Unafraid to call him out on any bullshit that he never puts up with, he's the guy people complain about Tooru to and wait for him to be dealt with, like he provides a free service to victimised masses. He's the other half of the pair that commonly walks around campus, practically joined at the hips.

"Y-You hit me?!"

"You deserved it. Quit being a menace to our juniors." 

"I have no idea what you me—ow!"

"Bullshit." Hajime jams his shoe in deeper, turning it at different, torturous angles like a drill. "I heard every word, trashikawa!"

"Can you drop that name already?!"

Hajime thinks there's no chance of that happening any year soon. "Come on, idiot." his shoe touches the ground again and Tooru puts on an act of staggering to stand up as if he'd been crushed. "I've got my half of the project. You did the presentation, right?"

Tooru dusts himself off like he wasn't withering on the floor not even a minute ago, a coy smile on his otherwise neutral expression, "Who do you think I am?"

Hajime snorts at what must be a rhetorical question. He knows exactly who Tooru Oikawa is and the awful way he carries himself. 

"Trust me, Iwa-chan," Tooru drapes an arm around his best friend's shoulders and leads them on through the hallway. Using his other hand, he pats his bag that's holding his memory card with, in his words, the best presentation ever. He stayed up all night working on it. "I'm bagging us an A-plus."

Hajime huffs but doesn't argue. The cocky smile on Tooru's face says he can't possible be anymore confident but, irritably, he certainly enjoys trying. 

 

* * *

 

A week passes. Shoyo's skipping and humming through town one minute, then excitedly pushing his phone in to the unprepared hands of Tobio--who, with every right to be startled, nearly drops it. "Film me, I'm gonna do it!" 

 _‘Do what?’_  Tobio wonders because it probably won't be good.

Shoyo's off before he can be stopped, shimmying through the bustling crowd in the town center. His head of ginger hair pops up now and then among the mass of taller civilians. He missteps once and a kind, elderly gentleman grabs his hand and helps him to his feet. Shoyo apologies for the trouble, thanks him and resumes his rush.

"Fuck's sake..." Tobio sighs while he watches his boyfriend climb the angel stature on top of the water fountain.

Shoyo waves at him from the top, "I'm ready!"

Tobio mentally asks 'for what?' and feels helpless, being so out of the loop. He has an inkling, at least, of something dangerous and stupid on the horizon. "No way. Get down before you hurt yourself."

Shoyo groans, "Get someone else to do it then!"

"Do  _what_?!"

"Just get someone!"

"This is insane! No!"

"Still scared to talk people?"

"Oh my fucking God—"

"I can't hold your hand from up here!"

"Shut up!" Tobio's never been scared to talk to people, he just isn't the best at expressing himself and so people often misunderstand. One time, in high school, his teammates suggested he smile, so he tried it. They all moved to the furthest end of the room from him, and the bravest—or  _stupidest_ —guy left behind begged him not to go through with whoever's murder he was planning (after saying that, he decided it was Shoyo's). Anyway, to Tobio's point, talking to a stranger is one thing but asking them to film his boyfriend hurt himself is borderline  _sadistic_.

Shoyo waves his arms faster with impatience.

Tobio curses. There's no alternative here, it looks like. Trying to deter his boyfriend is like trying to cool down the sun, that's how determined Shoyo is once he's dead-set on something. It's annoying.

It's also a reason he's loved by Tobio.

One long exhale in then out later, Tobio's mustered up enough nerve to approach the closest stranger: a tall, green-eyed blonde woman wearing a pencil skirt and matching blazer. Deducing she's a foreigner, he takes a moment to reassess his english skills. They're shitty, really shitty. Need a lot of work. But he tries anyhow, Shoyo's happiness on the line, and slaps a thick accent over wobbly pronunciation to ask for help.

Shoyo beams, so incredibly proud of his boyfriend for going out of his comfort zone for him.

A moment later, the woman slaps Tobio across the cheek, then huffs and marches on in her stylish heels.

What just happened? Shoyo blinks, utterly lost, all the while half-consciously mimicking his boyfriend rubbing his cheek because it's like he can actually feel the sting. 

* * *

 

"Shit. It looks really bad." 

"Yeah. She was wearing a diamond ring."

"How much does it hurt? On a scale of one to five."

" _Six_."

"Oh,  _shit_."

Tobio leans across the dining table with chopsticks to grab another dumpling from the plate in the center of everything else. He bites in to it carefully, his cheek still sore. He eats dinner a lot of nights at Shoyo's home when he has the time and can't be bothered with convenience store goods, but the invitation this time is apologetic since it was Shoyo who coerced him in to talking to a stranger (Shoyo, in his defence, never asked him to chose a foreigner. Tobio's aware of his crappy english speaking skills too).

But a bandaid and kiss to the cheek later put any and all arguments on whose to blame to rest.

Shoyo, over his bowl of rice, points out, "I thought your social skills were better."

Tobio swallows, then comes back with, "I thought  _you_  could  _fly_."

"I  _can_!

"You  _think_  you can. There's a difference."

Shoyo slams his fist down on the table, rattling cups and bowls.

Natsu, his younger sister, hurries in from the living room, her bare feet pit-patting along the floor. She pulls out a chair, hops on beside her brother and helps herself to the food spread out on several plates across the table.

Shoyo puts his best smile on for her, "Natsu believes I can fly! Don't you, sis?"

Natsu nods and the colourful bows and clips in her hair bounce. She reaches next for the last two dumplings for her plate and Tobio doesn't mind at all. "You told me so in the bedtime story last night. You flew up and saved me from a dragon."

Shoyo groans. That's not what he meant. "Ahh, forget it and just eat your dinner!"

Tobio frowns, "Hey, don't be mad at her."

"I'm not, I'm mad at  _you_!" Shoyo spits, then shovels rice in to his mouth. 

"Because you can't fly?"

"Shut up and eat your dinner, Tobio!"

 

* * *

  

Shoyo figures that, maybe, he's been speaking to the wrong person. He leans closer with a hopeful sparkle in his eyes, "So, do you believe me?!"

Kenma sips his drink agonisingly slow. Their lunch meet-ups aren't enough of an occurrence (by fault of clashing schedules), but on this rarity, they both have the same period slot free and are sitting together at an on-campus table outside. "I dunno, Shoyo. You don't seem like the flying type." 

"What about when we had practice matches together?! Didn't you see me?! The ball came to me like  _zoom_  and I went  _bam_  with it in the air! It was like flying! I looked awesome, right, Kenma?!"

Kenma more or less remembers Shoyo receiving a lot of balls to the face. Also, he isn't sure what 'zoom' and 'bam' translate to, specifically. "Is spiking a ball really like flying though?" 

"It is for  _me_."

"Yeah, 'cause you're short."

"Hey!"

"Kenma-san!"

Shoyo turns his head to the walkway where a lanky, grey-haired boy is on the look out, a hand perching about his brows to shield from the sun. He turns right, left, even looks up in a tree, and then he looks straight at Shoyo with sharp, cat-like eyes. A chill runs down Shoyo and he, despite what might come out of his mouth to seem cool, isn't really prepared for a fight. In fact, this guy has an obvious advantage with his terrifying height— _'is he a student or a skyscraper?!' What the hell?!'_  comes to Shoyo's panicking mind. "H-Hey, what's his probl—"

Kenma isn't sitting with him anymore, it looks like.

Shoyo gapes.

The grey-haired student stares a while longer before he jogs off to search elsewhere, loudly but politely calling out for 'Kenma-san'.

Kenma reappears across the table, simultaneously picks up his burger to eat and work his thumbs to play a game on his phone, nonchalant as if his disappearance had only been a trick of the eyes.

"Awesome!" Shoyo exclaims. "Kenma, your power's so cool! But why'd you hide? Who was that guy?"

"Lev." Kenma answers. "He's always following after me, asking me to teach him this and that. Kuroo says I've lost weight from all the running away."

"Kenma, you run?"

"I don't like what you're implying."

"Sorry!"

Kenma sets down his phone and takes out his black PSP from his bag instead. He waits for it to load up, looking troubled all the while. "Playing online is difficult as well because of him. He forced me to add him as a friend, so now he knows when I'm online. I can't play offline or I won't get the trophies. And if I remove him, he'll bother me with all sorts of questions. It's easier to avoid him when I can."

"...So, pretty much twenty-four seven."

"Yep."

"Hey, do you remember when you got your power?"

"Ask Kuroo."

"Isn't it sad that your boyfriend knows but you don't?"

"Not as sad as your not having an ability is."

"H-Hey, unfair! And I told you already, I flew! Isn't that cool?!" 

"You, flying?"

Shoyo grins, "Yeah, like a  _superhero_!"

Kenma imagines a reckless Shoyo in the air, disorganised and flying into airborne creatures. "...Maybe not." he answers and starts playing an RPG game on his fully loaded PSP.

Shoyo wonders now if the problem isn't necessarily himself but the circumstances in which his ability should activate. For example, Kenma turns invisible when he wants to hide (which is a lot. He's introverted). So maybe he needs to be in a similar mindset of wanting to escape. Whatever he felt when he flew the first time, he must've been desperate. He can't really remember. But flying is about going far at top speeds, so he reckons the solution lies in a risk that it will awake at a crucial time.

Tobio doesn't see it coming.

Whenever he'll recall this incident in the future, he'll remember how Shoyo's speedy walk transitions in to running. How Shoyo believes that all of a sudden yelling 'catch me!' and throwing himself at his boyfriend is anywhere near a proper, fair warning. How they fall in a messy heap and he's knocked out on the bridge they should've just walked across like two normal people.

Tobio awakens later in bed at the nearest A & E.

And Shoyo, sitting beside him, has the audacity to look so low spirited like  _he_ 's the one with a fractured something.

 

* * *  

 

Tooru's loud, obnoxious laughter floods the entire cafeteria the next day. There are tears in the corner of his eyes that come back every time he wipes them, and a palm smacks the table now and then in uncontrollable spasm. He'd laughed when he first received his latest vision, laughed as he filmed its unveiling in real time, and he's still laughing about it now as he replays the footage on his phone he secretly caught of Tobio and Shoyo absolutely  _failing_  on the bridge.

Hajime's exhausted—in Tooru's company on a general basis, but even more so now. Sitting across from his best friend, an open palm under his chin and elbow on the table are all that's keeping his head up, "Okay,  _calm down_. Don't you have another assignment to focus on?"

"I'll—haha, ace it."

"You don't know that." Hajime counters and Tooru gives him that look where his eyelids half close and he's half smirking. "Okay, you know but you don't—will you fuck off with that look already?! Things can still change!"

Tooru replays the captured footage off his phone, ignoring the lecture.

Hajime's last nerve snaps, "I fuckin' swear—" 

"Don't look so serious, Iwa-chan, or you'll get wrin—" Tooru's next wave of laughter cuts altogether and he becomes immobile and silent. Glossing over his brown eyes is a translucent sheet of light, ocean-like blue. In a matching hue are bodily silhouettes. Sometimes faces, but all unrecognisable on the outside.

Hajime reassures himself that it's fine, it's okay. This happens a lot; a vision will invade Tooru's mind and take him for a brief moment wherein-which he is unable to interact with anything other than what he's visualising to come. It's like watching a movie. The visions come and go in fleeting speeds and can't be tracked by any kind of pattern to prepare for their next invasion, nor can what they present be altered by the seer's preference.

It's a gift if the vision is fortunate, a curse if it's predicting a tragedy.

Hajime is restless up until the visions end, clueless about which it is this time around until the seer pieces the clips together and can guess (there are scarce days, by chance, when the visions are clear enough).

The vision concludes in under a minute, like usual. Tooru blinks a couple times, his eyes reverting to their natural shade and readjusting to the sight of present reality. He looks straight at Hajime and his neutral expression smoothes in to a softer, pleasant one. "Your mom's going to invite me over for dinner tonight." He hums carefreely and sets his chin atop entwined fingers, "I accept, of course!"

Having Tooru Oikawa in his home isn't nothing extraordinary at all, but Hajime will be damned if—

_ bzzt! bzzt! _

Tooru's eyes link to the shuffling and buzzing coming from inside Hajime's bag on the table. It even lights up every two seconds. Smiling, he asks, "Well? You gonna—"

" _No_." Hajime says, curt. He puts a hand on his bag over the phone vibrating underneath to pretend it's not.

"We're having chicken, by the way."

" _Shut up_." 

* * *

  

Tobio doesn't realise at first that it's too quiet. The itchy, blue cast around his arm takes a large portion of his attention for the first half of their walk together, deep thought invested in to the use of a fork. It's usually when Shoyo sees such a concentrated expression on Tobio's face that he pokes fun at him.

But he hasn't said anything.

As annoying as his excited shrieks and nonsensical yammering are, they make up a big part of him. 

Tobio can't believe he's actually  _missing_  it.

Shoyo walks alongside his bicycle with his head hung low, his shoes dragging themselves roughly across the grazed path, resembling a child denied treats after unwillingly consuming vegetables. A usual wild, fire-cracker of a character, he's like a candle a flicker away from extinguishing. The brightness and warmth of a sun about to set behind the horizon. During their high school days, his change in moods couldn't be overlooked—in fact, it's no exaggeration to say those moods and their changes enormously affected his synchronisation with Tobio which most people, including their own teammates, couldn't comprehend logically. And whenever he happened to be in a slump or sulking, he didn't need cheering up, not really. His energy seemed endless, his optimism always sprang back up in no time at all. The rare times it didn't, though, it'd take shouting and insults.

"Fix your face already." Tobio says, minding the reaction he can possibly get. It's silence, which he wasn't expecting. It ticks him off a little, actually, more than Shoyo shouting back an insult of his own would. "Oi, I said—" at the last minute, grinding teeth, Tobio reconsiders his approach and thinks that, maybe, being calm and considerate this time might be the trick. After all, they're changed from high school, even if only a little, right? "...Look, if it's about my arm, the pain's bearable. And I'm not mad..."

Shoyo still says nothing.

"Fucking—that's it!" Tobio isn't the patient type to begin with but that strips him of his last nerve. He grasps Shoyo's head in a firm grip, an action from their past together, "Snap out of it already, dumbass! You're not the only one without a power!"

Shoyo's ears ring vibrantly with his boyfriend's words. His heart is swarming with jumbled, aching emotions. He  _knows_  he isn't the sole person alive without an ability, but he's also not someone  _with_  one. It's not the power itself that matters so much but having one means,  _and_  what not having one also means. In this day and age, supernatural abilities are solid proof of how someone feels. Shoyo's head hangs forward and his body goes half-limp. Slowly, he pushes his bicycle alongside, "M'gonna go. See ya later. Maybe."

Tobio grabs him by the arm, "Maybe? What the heck does that mean?!"

"Leave me alone!" Shoyo tries to pull away.

"Stop being so difficult!"

"Just let me go then! Let me drag my  _powerless-_ self home!"

Tobio grinds his teeth and glares. "I don't remember you being this lame even when you took serves to the face!"

"S-Shut up!"

"Calm down, damn it!"

Shoyo forcefully struggles to break free from the restrain, and when the grip seems invincible, he resorts to thrashing about in the hopes he'll catch his boyfriend off guard.

They've fought before. Physically, like this, and the air around then was a lot tenser. This fight right now is desperation, not anger. It's wanting to run fast and far from insecurities as much as wanting to cling on and find sense wherever.

Tobio attemps to haul Shoyo up and over his shoulder to restrict his movement. At the same time, Shoyo rebels, hand against Tobio's cheek, pushing and pushing and Tobio reclining further and further. And then—

Space between Shoyo's hand and his boyfriend's cheek, a gap of air left. At different eye levels, like a sudden growth spurt has blessed him. 

"What the...?" Tobio's finds he has enough voice left, small as it is, to express his surprise. His total bewilderment is captured in his wider eyes and gaping mouth as he stares  _up_.

Shoyo looks down, sees nothing beneath his feet—no grass, no concrete—and realises 'this is it. This is—I'm flying. I am! I did it again!'. And now, with a witness, there can be no more denying. No more doubts of this being nothing further than a dream. But when Shoyo looks at Tobio, there is nothing like happiness or relief on his face. Surprise is there. His eyes are much wider and his mouth is gaping at the possibility that this, still, can't be happening. He's  _mortified_. And Shoyo's heart cracks.

_'What's so wrong? I'm flying.'_

_'I'm not crazy. Everything I've felt all this time—!'_

_'...Believe me, Tobio!'_

Shoyo, hurt, turns away and wills his hovering body down. It doesn't listen and instead projects him across the bridge, over to a heap of discarded boxes outside a small, quiet business. A cat screeches and mewls.

Tobio rushes over, bicycle in tow. "Are you okay?!"

"Don't ask me that now. After you..." Shoyo's eyes are hidden beneath shadows carved across his face, like melancholic touches to his humiliation and feeling of abandonment. He startles Tobio, abruptly picking himself up, snatching back his bicycle and fleeing home.

Shoyo heads straight upstairs to his room. He doesn't sleep immediately, lost in staring at the ceiling and rewinding back the day in his head. When he falls in to a slumber, it's with a small but nonetheless present smile on his face.

 

* * *

 

"I can fly, Noya-san!" Shoyo exclaims next morning in the common room to his friends (plus Kei and Tadashi in the background, not friends but they've been around since high school and continued their tradition of snide comments now and then).

"Nice, Shoyo! Show me, yeah?" Yu replies says, and the rest of the group can't tell if he's just humouring him or if he's acting naive. But he's wild, and excited to the notion that someone he knows can actually oppose the pulling force keeping them all limited in literal and metaphoric ways.

"Psh! As if he actually can!" Ryunosuke dismisses beside him, "Noya-san, c'mon, that's like a comic book superpower!"

"I really can!" Shoyo pushes and looks to his boyfriend who's been quiet this whole time, "Right?!"

Tobio takes his time sipping his glass of water just to evade answering for as long as possible. Everyone's eyes are on him, expectantly. He'd hold his breath if he could, but he runs out of water first. He swipes a hand across his wet mouth and lies, "I saw nothing."

Shoyo stares in disbelief, speechless.

"Told you!" Ryunnosuke cheers.

Nishinoya, excitement dimmed, says, "Ah, never mind. It would be awesome if you could Shoyo but it's alright if you can't."

Kei, in the background with a textbook, mumbles, "He's just deluded."

Shoyo throws a finger accusingly at his boyfriend, "Y-You—you total fibber! You  _sa_ w me do it!"

"We drank a lot of sodas earlier and it went to our heads."

"Are you for real right now?!"

Kei smirks and comments, "Amazing. You got drunk off  _soft drinks_."

"Shut up! If a bird's drunk too then do its wings stop working?!"

"If an imbecile like you words a question like that, is your brain even functioning?"

Shoyo furiously waves him off, done. Crestfallen, he begs with his eyes for Tobio's support, and gets none. Feeling rejected, Shoyo rushes out of the common room.

Tobio sighs, watching him go, and asks himself, "Why's he so hung up on this? Stupid Shoyo.”

"He's frustrated. Not having his ability must mean he doesn't love His Majesty after all." 

"Cut the crap, Tsukishima. Keep out of our heads!"

"I can't thought cast into  _mindless_  things."

"I'm seriously not in the mood for your bullshit, four-eyes!"

Tadashi steps between them with hands raised in defense, "H-He isn't bullshi— _I mean_ , Tsukki's trying to help!  _Honest_! He doesn't have to use his power with you guys, he's known you both since high school and knows what you're like. It's obvious to him."

Kei wishes that Tadashi had just kept his mouth shut. Even without being told to, he's always running his mouth and saying more than Kei would like. It gives people the wrong impression, that he's not as cold and as much of an asshole as he wants people to believe so they'll leave him alone. Kei closes his text book and explains himself, "It's not like I care or that I want to know; a college student is trying to study here but you  _preschoolers_  keep whining."

"Hah?!" Tobio snaps, starts cracking his knuckles.

Tadashi furiously motions to Kei to quickly get to his point.

Kei sighs and pushes up his glasses, "More or less, he's asking you to trust him regardless of what the circumstance seems to be." 

"Who trusts anyone one hundred percent?!"

"Dunno. I wouldn't trust a tyrant King either, but you have at least one follower stupid enough to."

 

* * *

 

 **Tobio**   _  
For a short ass, you run fast. _

_ Shoyo is typing... _

**Shoyo**    
That meant to make me feel GOOD?!  
  
_ Shoyo is typing... _

**Shoyo  **  
BC I DON'T FEEL GOOD

_ Tobio is typing... _

**Tobio  **  
Meet me at the park later.

 **Shoyo  **  
Why should I? Haven't you upset me enough today?!

_Tobio is typing..._

**Tobio  **  
Because you love me, dumbass. 

 

* * *

 

 

When they meet up, Shoyo already at a tree in the park field away from the play area and Tobio last to arrive, it's well in the afternoon. The mixed colours of peach and orange in the horizon are settling in to darker hues as the night draws closer, specks of stars coming out.

"Hey," Tobio says.

"...Yeah, hi." Shoyo answers. "So, what do you want?"

"First of all, don't run out on me again."

"Fine. Don't  _betray_  me again."

"I didn't 'betray' you.  _God_ , stop acting like a kid and just talk to me, damn it." 

Shoyo's shoulders hunch as he tenses, afraid of this moment, to say what's been on his mind even though he's assumed it's obvious. It's been on his mind for days, agonisingly. "Maybe we're not...I mean, since I don't have my power—"

"Don't say it." Tobio's pleas because he knows where this is going. It's been on his mind too, after all. "It’s just late, that’s all! You waited three years to play Volleyball so this shouldn’t be so hard for you.”

It's different somehow—he just knows the longer this takes the longer he'll question if his love was as real as he thought. All this time, what was he doing if it wasn't appreciating every single time spent with Tobio? 

"I flew like…” Shoyo’s arms steady rise up into a position of something going to take to the sky. "Whoosh."

“Like  _'roosh'_?"

"It's whoosh."

"Right, right."

"Don't patronise me!"

"It's hard not to when you set yourself up, dumbass! Everyone knows that when Superman flies it’s more like zooom! Like a fast gliding sound!"

"He does not."

"He freakin' does! Look it up!"

"See if I don't! What kind of boyfriend are you if you say you don't believe I can fly?!"

"The sane kind." Tobio's blunt rebuttal earns him a sharp finger in to his side and he yelps. Embarrassed and irritated, he pulls his boyfriend dangerously close by the ends of his shirt. Shoyo tenses up and nervously laughter bubbles out; as they are right now, it's like they're high school frenemies again. " Hey, did you ever think that I just didn't want to see anything but me sweeping you off your feet?"

Shoyo blinks, perplexed, but soon blushes as he catches on, "...That...was actually kinda smooth."

"Yeah," Tobio smiles shyly, "I've been working on it." 

"Now, see, I believe that." Shoyo's head is compressed under Tobio's hand, "Aaaah, sorry!"

 Tobio clicks his tongue and lets him go, “Dumbass.”

 Shoyo pokes his tongue out, "I know you are but what am I?”

“Still a dumbass.” 

“Kiss me.”

“Is that, like, some new kind of come back?" 

Shoyo lets out a breathy chuckle, shakes his head and steps forward. His shoes meet directly in front of Tobio’s and balance on their front tips as he leans up, “No, I really want you to kiss me.” 

“O-Okay…?”

“You don’t sound sure.”

“You’ve never asked before. We usually just do it, right?”

“Hey, consent is a thing.”

“I fucking know that, dumbass. Are you gonna stare at me all day or what?!”

“Just admiring my taste in guys.” 

“Well A-plus then.”

“ _Narcissist_.”

"Shut up already and let me kiss you!” Tobio commands and holds Shoyo's face gently so gently and lovingly and he feels like he's practically holding the entire world in his hands-his whole world.

It's while they're kissing, eyes shut and closed mouth pecks, fingers shyly entwining, that an idea spontaneously invades Shoyo's mind. An epiphany about his ability. Sometimes superheroes powers don’t activate until the situation calls for it or specific conditions are met. Maybe, Shoyo bets, just maybe his flying is dependant on a comfortable, warm feeling. He tries it, pushing off his tip toes as much as he can. He head-butts in to his boyfriend.

"What the fuck?!" Tobio stumbles back, chin sore.

Shoyo peaks an eye open, "Am I...is anything happening? Are my feet off the ground?" He looks down to his body. His shoes are on the grass. Pouting, he asks, "Hey, did you see—”

"What was that?! Asking me to kiss you and then doing that bullshit? You’re a total dumbass, you can't fly!"

"You saw me—" 

"Just stop!" Tobio sounds exhausted. Like he's tried of fighting. He is.

"Why's it so hard to believe me? I know I sound crazy but I know how I feel! I swear! You were a jerk in high-school  _and you still can be_ —"

"I have to show you something."

"It can wait, I'm trying to tell you that I—"

“No, it can’t!”

Shoyo flinches.

Tobio feels guilty. Calmer, he says, “There’s something I...I should’ve told you awhile ago.”

Shoyo watches silently, somehow nervous

Tobio walks a few steps away, gives himself a moment of whispered, self-encouragement and reminders to be calm. A routine about keeping steady and balanced, about ignoring how cold it might be and just concentrating. Then, slowly, his body lifts above ground

Shoyo's terrified, realisation hitting instant and hard.

When Tobio touches ground again after a minute or so, it's with such grace—like he's done this before. Practised hard. Had time to accept this power and tested it.

"I-I..." Shoyo's stutters, "I don't get it."

 “ _I_  can fly. Not you,  _me_."

"M-Maybe we have the same—" 

"If that's the case then we aren't meant to be together. Is that what you  _want_?!"

"And if I don't have a power at all, that means I don't lo—”

"I've been able to fly for weeks." Tobio doesn’t miss the actually betrayed expression on his boyfriend’s face, eyes wide and mouth open in horror. He can tell he wants to deny it in his mind but it's too real. "I was gonna tell you. I was just waiting for the right time. Wanted to get my head around...everything.” The fact that he had an incredible power among incredible powers. The fact that being able to fly meant the butterfly feelings were real and Shoyo was his soulmate. “And I was waiting for you to get your ability, or until I...stopped believing in the worst case scenario. So I kept it to myself.”

“Tobio—” 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about it!  _'what if’_ , you know? What if we’re meant to be with other people? So I denied everything you told me. But then it made you sad and that's a lot worse than if you turned out to be someone else’s soulmate. I was stupid, okay? I let some stupid guideline convince me that we belonged apart after I've put up with you all this time.”

It’s strange in a funny way. All this time, Shoyo was worried he wasn't in love, meanwhile Tobio was worried that, if his boyfriend could fly, they were meant to be apart. Shoyo realises now that it, strangely, hadn’t crossed his mind before whether Tobio’s power had presented itself yet and what it might be. He was just so excited to be the first to be able to say that he was in love and prove it. But Tobio’s been able to fly  _for weeks_.  _Weeks_  have passed and still, Shoyo has  _nothing_  to show. “You knew you could fly and didn’t bother to tell me. I get why  _but still_! You let me think I could and you let me go on like an  _idiot_  to everyone but I've been kidding myself! I don't have my power yet and that means...it means...!” Shoyo starts hitting a fist to his chest. “Regardless of the way I feel, I don't—” 

"It means  _I_  love  _you_."

Shoyo looks away, ashamed. He feels undeserving of it, knowing he'd be saying it back without proof.

" was stupid and  _scared_ , okay?” Tobio walks over to him, holds his hands and runs his thumbs over Shoyo's knuckles smoothly. “But I don’t care anymore about guidelines. I can’t believe I even—” He sighs, irritated with himself. He can’t believe he let an ancient book take up so much space in his mind for heads. But he looks at Shoyo and just melts inside. What does any book know about them? “Power or no power, I’m sure even a dumbass like you knows how you feel about me.”

"But I—” 

“ _I_  can fly, that's my power. You can bullshit with excuses all you want but it means that I've found...you're my..." Tobio turns his blushing, overwhelmed and suddenly aware of it and becoming shy. "No one else can stand me anyway!"

"Sometimes  _I_  can't stand you."

"N-No one else gets me!"

"I don't get you. You speak in another language a lot of the time."

Tobio's brows knit together in frustration and he really thinks about this. "No one else...can hit my tosses!"

Shoyo brightens up, “Yeah!”

“ _Finally_.” Tobio sighs against his boyfriend’s forehead and presses a kiss there.

 

* * *

 

"Ta-dah!" Tooru grins and holds up two fingers with one hand, in the other his assignment marked A+ with a 100% score. 

"I'm getting real tired of you knowing things." Hajime says.

"You love me!"

"You wish."

"Oh hush! I know everyt—" Tooru's cut off by the invasion of another vision.

Hajime waits for whatever spectacle's coming and will give him an earache. It was magical to witness it at first, but he's accustomed to the random freeze-ups now and can expect they'll be followed by boasting.

Tooru's vision ends and he gapes at Hajime.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Spill it. Am I gonna die?"

"Why would you ask me that?!"

"Just tell me."

"It wasn't about you, okay?! The freaky duo..." Tooru leaves a long pause, then drastically exclaims, "They were flying together! Can you believe that?! It's bad enough Tobio-chan can but now Shrimpy-chan? That's  _two_  people! Can you believe that?!"

"Cool."

"Is it really?”

"Quit being jealous."

"Not jealous.” Tooru says but folds his arms and puffs out his cheeks.

Hajime's eyes roll, "Who’s the lucky idiot that knows what'll happen before it does? Your ability is pretty cool too."

"Aww, Iwa-chan." Tooru leans in to Hajime, bumping shoulders. "Listen to yourself, complimenting me. You must really think you're about to die!"

"Do  _you_  wanna die? 'Cause I can make it happen."

"Just for that, I'm not telling you what your ability's gonna be!"

"If it's not the ability to  _shut you up_  then I don't fucking care."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Things seem almost normal as they walk through the college hallway of lockers together, holding hands, fitting in among other students and happy couples distrubtued around. But things aren't normal. Or they are but not perfectly so. Tobio can live with that though, he thinks, looking at his boyfriend. "Hey, you feeling okay?"

"Mhm." Shoyo hums, expression much more content than the last couple of days.

 

"You sure? I don't want you freaking out again."

"So I don't exactly have a power but my boyfriend does.  _Has_  for the past several weeks." Tobio knows he's teasing but he scowls anyway. Shoyo tugs on his hand reassuringly, telling him  _it's alright_. "But it's okay. I'm okay. I'm definitely gonna get my power and it's gonna be awesome!"

"It's gonna be stupid and lame  _like you_."

"I know you are but what am I?"

"Shut up!"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Oh! Maybe that's my power: royally pissing you off, haha!"

Tobio grabs hold of his head, "And it's gonna kill you if you don't use it  _responsibly_."

"S-Sorry!" Shoyo cries. "I'm sorry!"

"Hey..." Tobio calls, sounding further away than he actually he is. He isn't glaring at Shoyo but watching a couple at the end of the hallway and past the open doors, just in the courtyard area.

Shoyo watches also, expecting something major. "Yeah, what?"

The couple are a girl and boy, blonde and brunet, average height and taller. Soulmates. The girl points to her folder that's somehow slid under one of the outdoor couches, half hidden by a blanket of shadow and light dust. The guy assumably tells her it's no big deal, crouches and lifts one end of the couch. Or he tries to. Gets so red faced and disturbed, it's ridiculous. The girl sighs, says something like 'let me help' and then they high five.

She mimics his crouch similarly and lifts the other end with ease.

Tobio and Shoyo are speechless for a moment. When they look to each other, silently communicating, they've come to host the same idea. A long shot, probably not gonna work idea, but an shot and idea no less. After the week they've had, they're desperate enough to try anything.

They hold up a to each other.

"Your hand is shaking." Tobio says.

Shoyo knows, "I-It's...'snot, i-is it?"

"What the heck are you so worried about?"

"I d-d-dunno!"

Tobio sighs. He’d be lying if he says he isn’t feeling a little nervous too. “Give it 'ere already, dumbass." he smacks his palm against Shoyo's and they wait. They're not sure for what exactly. Just a change—the difference.

A small squeak slips past Shoyo's lips. He stares at his open palm, feeling it tingle from the warm imprint left. The sensation spreads over his body in a layer. He glances at Tobio.

Tobio nods.

Shoyo licks his lips, steadies his breathing, and he prays to whichever Gods are on his side. Feet together, hands out for balance. He sucks in one big breath and closes his eyes.

It's his feet first, then his entire body slowly lifting.

 

* * *

 

It could've been a trick of the lights. A flicker of doubt in the changing of colors. Hajime can't say. One minute he’s walking, about to cross the street, when loud blaring of car horns fill his eardrums.

And he's pulled back from behind by his jacket. A truck whizzing past turns a corner, unbalanced. Uncaring that it nearly collided with him.

Hajime turns to his saviour.

If anyone asks what it's like to be best friends with the Tooru, Hajime will tell them it's not easy. Overconfidence and the accessibility to information on what's to come—an ability yet to be equaled or outmatched by another, in his opinion—is an exhausting combination to deal with. Tooru likes to use this to his advantage and make people he dislikes look bad. But this time, there's nothing sketchy on his face. It's actually calm, as if he didn't just save his best friend's life.

"...Thanks."

Tooru smiles innocently, “No problem, Iwa-chan.”

It's more of a deal than he's admitting to. The irony. Of all the times for him to make a big deal out of minuscule things, he chooses now to act nonchalant. He's always been like this. And Tooru's always been there for him—even when they aren't on speaking terms. Like the time when Hajime said he'd give E.T. over to the Feds, as a joke, and Tooru spent the entire day phasing him out, only to then sit next to him on the bus for their school trip and be his field trip buddy. The fight hadn't been resolved then; no one had said sorry or confessed to acting irrational, but Tooru still showed up. No matter how trashy he acts, his loyalty is unquestionable.

"You don't need to repay me either."

Hajime blinks. "Wasn't gonna." He says, though he'd been thinking about it. Nothing extravagant. A cookie from a nice bakery maybe. Or a card.

"I knew."

"Bullshit."

"Afterward, you would've insisted you buy me dinner."

" _Right_."

"And I accept."

Hajime snorts. The nerve of this guy. "I'm not offering you anything, eat at home!" he snaps and walks on, half-trying to leave his best friend behind. "You've had your ability for too long."

Tooru merrily follows, skipping along, smiling widely, "'Cause I've long since known that we'll always be together. If ever that changes, I'll tighten the reins on you a little more."

"What am I, your  _dog_?"

"Why not? I'd make a good owner and give you treats even when you're being embarrassing.

"You can forget it!"

"Bad Iwa-chan! Compliment me and let's get cookies on the way home. My treat!"

"Get. Away. From. Me."

"What? Who doesn't like cookies?"

“God, you're so annoying!"

"Iwa-chan, I'm surprised you haven't asked. Aren't you interested in your special ability?"

Hajime bites and lends his focus to Tooru behind, "Go on then."

"If you tell me how good a friend I am, I just might. And don't lie. Here, I’ll start you off. 'Tooru, you're so nice when you...'" 

"Aren't talking."

Tooru gasps. "How rude!"

"What? You said not to lie. But whatever, keep it a secret." Hajime knows full well he hasn't lost Tooru from this—if he ever can lose him, even with all the bullshit he's sworn time and time again he's done with. And it should go without saying that, assuming he'll be getting an ability eventually, he doesn't need to second guess the way he feels. 

 

* * * 

 

 

"You dumbass!" Tobio yells again as his boyfriend collides with something else again. He's an unbalanced mess. An air hazard!

"It's harder than it looks!" Shoyo argues while his arms wobble to fight to keep him as straight as he can. He just about makes it on to the rooftop of the nearest building, clinging on to the edge and using all his upper-body strength to move himself up and over on to it.

"You just suck!"

"Your face sucks!" 

"You better pray I don't come up there!"

Shoyo cups hands around his mouth and taunts from the edge, "Come at me! Do it, I dare you!" And he regrets it very quickly, the sight of his incoming, very peeved boyfriend instilling genuine fear. Shoyo gulps, asks himself if Tobio could always fly that fast. soon regrets at the incoming, very peeved boyfriend. Could Tobio always fly that fast?! He's coming like a missile homing in on its locked on target. Shoyo hurries to find a means of escape; he can fly but just barely. Tobio's throbbing vein can be seen. Shoyo shrieks and scrambles to the edge of the roof to peer over: he weighs his only two options: conventional death by falling, or by Tobio. When he bravely peeks and sees the darkness and the rage, he decides the answer is quite easy.

Shoyo flings off the rooftop and falls. Spreading out his arms, he asks for the wind to be generous and help to carry him, to fly. He regrets it and the air is filled with shrieks, Shoyo panicking at how quickly Tobio is flying over while he looks for an emergency exit—a way down or just anywhere else. He's a mess again, zig-zagging all over the place. Shoyo eventually catches up to him but doesn't harm him, he instead takes his hand and has him fly forward on his stomach; they fly together like that.

Shoyo's in awe, taking in the captivating view of the sunset. He looks to his side.

Tobio looks at him, "What?"

Shoyo grins, "...Thanks for sharing this with me. Your power is really awesome!"

Flustered, Tobio turns away, "Idiot. Can you even turn yours off? Don't be stupid and drain all of my power!"

"I won't." Shoyo vows to train hard so he can empower them both. He tightens his hold on his boyfriend's hand and, feeling an adrenaline rush and the happiest he's been, he yells in to the sky, "THIS IS AMAZING! WE'RE GOING WAAA AND WHOOOSH IN THE AIR!"

"Idiot, be careful. You get all sorts up here—duck! Duck! MOVE!"

Shoyo misses the timing and gets caught in the flock of birds that come from nowhere. His grip on Tobio's hand goes and he falls through the sky, breaking apart clouds and feeling the wind whip across his skin.

Tobio dives after him, throwing his hand out desperately, "Give me your hand, idiot! Or fly! Fly, dammit! Not like a bird!"

"How else can I do it?!"

"Your hand! Come on!"

Shoyo throws his hands out, “T-Tobio!”

Tobio mimics, "Shoyo!"

They grab each other’s hands.

Shoyo squeezes his eyes shut.

Tobio pull him as close as possible, cradling him, "I've got you." He whispers and does what he can to stall their decent so their landing will be, if possible, less harsh. They end up on a field of cut grass, laying awhile, trying to get their breath back, windswept by it all. Tobio's fallen before when he was just learning the basics of controlling his power, but he never fell thinking he might lose his life.

He wasn't scared of being hurt or dying like he was scared of hurting or losing—

Shoyo sputters and coughs beneath him.

Tobio curses and moves off. He rolls Shoyo on to his back and sits him up in his lap to check him over for even the smallest of scratches, heart pounding so hard with dread, “Shit! Shoyo? Hey, say something! Anything! Hey, Sho—!"

 "I love you." 

Tobio blinks furiously, "... _What_?"

Shoyo’s raises a hand to Tobio’s face, offering an apologetic but also appreciative smile. "...And your power's so, fucking awesome."

Tobio's lips fold in, relieved. The confession is making his heart swell. “Dumbass…” he takes one of Shoyo’s hands and kisses the back of it, again and again, leaves the last one lingering. “Try saying ‘hello’ or ‘I’m fine’ next time you fall out of the sky!” 

"Next time..." Shoyo mumbles in after-thought. "I can  _fly_. Because of you, I can go higher than I ever dreamed."

"Yeah."

"I can fly," Shoyo repeats, still astonished. And probably forever will be because it's a dream come true. "And next time, I'm gonna go higher and higher, and further and further!"

Tobio presses their foreheads together, nudges his nose with Shoyos and nears his lips closer, "I'll let you borrow my wings whenever, Shoyo."

Shoyo turns his head to laugh, "Pft—!" 

"Why are you laughing?! Shut up!"

"You're just so corny!" Shoyo laughs again, then calms his boyfriend with the kiss he was trying for. He pulls back, stroking the back of Tobio's head, "Thanks for catching me. I guess I fell for you again.  _Literally_!”

Tobio rolls his eyes.  _He_ 's corny? “Seriously, you fell from the sky. Are you  _sure_  you’re okay?”

Shoyo smiles and nods, “I’m great.” Granted, he's still dazed from the descent, and a little winded and completely starry eyed, but he likely always will be with Tobio.

**Author's Note:**

> . Originally, it was only Tobio with the super power, but the idea grew on its own and I like how it's turned out.
> 
> . Shoyo's ability _(power mimicry)_ was hinted earlier, when someone in the crowd caught him and then he felt he could actually feel the sting of Tobio getting slapped. So, yeah, he's had it all this time.
> 
> If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Please let me know, I'm curious. For me, it's always been telekinesis. Thank you so much for reading this fic if you did! ❤ ( ´ ▽ ` )/


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